Entropion


Eyelid turning in, which makes the lashes rub on the ocular surface. It usually occurs with age and can cause eye or eyelid pain, foreign body sensation, red eye and itchy teary eyes. Both entropion and ecotropion are eye conditions involving the lower eyelids. Both conditions are most common in people over the age of 40 and both can cause significant complications. Understanding these conditions and getting the appropriate treatment from optometrist is important.

If you are suffering from entropion, your eyelid is turning inward towards your eye. As a result, your eyelashes and sometimes the lid itself can make contact with parts of your eye, including the transparent covering known as the conjunctivae and the cornea. Because of this contact, the eye itself or these parts can become irritated.

Types & Causes of Entropion

Four main types of entropion have been recognised by eye health professionals, including congenital, spastic, involutional, and cicatricial. All four types are diagnosed in terms of what causes them. For example, you might be able to guess that congenital entropion is caused by the incorrect development of your eyelid. Of all four types, this one is the rarest.  The spastic type of entropion occurs when your eye muscles contract suddenly and beyond your control. This condition is often temporary and may be associated with eye irritation or eye surgery. Cicatricial entropion happens most often as a result of scarring on parts of the eye or eyelid that result from past health problems, such as chronic dry eyes, blepharitis, shingles, and other conditions.

The types above can affect both the upper and the lower lids. However, the fourth type – involutional entropion – typically only affects the lower lid. This type is most common and is more likely to develop in older individuals as a result of the weakening of the muscles surrounding the eye.

Symptoms of Entropion

While you may be able to notice the unusual inward turning of your eyelids visually, most people recognise a problem exists through other symptoms. For example, watering and irritated eyes are a symptom of an eye problem. Other patients report the feeling of a foreign object, such as dirt, being in their eyes. In some cases, there may even be a discharge from the eyes. Because these can be symptoms of other eye problems as well, you should seek treatment from your optician, if you experience any of them.

Eye Test & Diagnosis of Entropion

If your optometrist suspects you have any of the four types of entropion, he or she is likely to do one of two tests (or both). During one of these tests, he or she will carefully pull your eyelid forward then release it so that it snaps back to your eye. By doing this, the optometrist will be able to see if your eyelid is indeed turning inward. The other test involves you closing your eyes very tightly then opening them. The optometrist can see the reaction of your eyelids in this way, too. Following the diagnosis, treatment options will need to be considered.

Treatment for Entropion

If you want some immediate relief from the irritation caused by entropion, you can use eye drops to improve lubrication and to reduce the irritation caused by the contact between your eye and eyelid. Botox injections into the eyelid itself can also be temporarily effective because they paralyse the eye muscles controlling the eyelid thus stopping it from turning inward.

For a more permanent solution, however, you may consider eyelid surgery. The eyelid muscles can be tightened surgically under local anesthetic.


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